UNDERVOTE. The result when ballots that were run through the vote-counting machines registered no vote for president, either because the voter purposely didn’t vote for president or mistakenly didn’t punch the ballot card cleanly through. About 50,000, which were being counted by hand.

OVERVOTE. The result when individual ballots have votes for more than one presidential candidate and therefore weren’t included in any count. About 100,000, which are not being tallied in the recount.

PUNCH-CARD BALLOT. Paper ballots on which the voter uses a pointed stylus to dislodge “chads” next to the name of the candidate the voter has selected. One of two voting systems used in Florida. The other, known as “optical scan,” requires voters to use a No. 2 pencil to color in a circle by the candidate’s name, much like some standardized school exams.

CHAD. The tiny piece of paper that is supposed to be completely dislodged from the punch-card ballot when a voter properly executes a vote.

DIMPLED OR PREGNANT CHAD. The result when a voter does not push hard enough with the stylus, leaving only an indent or bump on the chad. Unless light is able to shine through the dimple, those ballots won’t be counted by the machines and will become “undervotes.”

HANGING OR SWINGING CHAD. A chad that is partially dislodged, with one, two or three of its four corners having been freed from the ballot. These usually – but not always – are counted by the machines.

CANVASSING BOARD. Three-member boards of local officials in each county that are responsible for counting ballots and certifying the totals.